Washing machine



S.SEDHA WASHING MACHINE April 2 1924.

File F 28. 1923 2 Sheeis-5heet 1 Aprii 29, 1924.

$- SEDITA WASHING MACHINE 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28

Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

ire 1 starts lAQLFZl WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed February 28, 1923. SeriaLrNo. 621,915.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, SALVATORE SEDITA, a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a washing machine for Washing clothes and similar articles and has for its object the production of a machine of this character which will permit of washing clothes expeditiously, thoroughly and in a manner simulating that heretofore commonly employed by washing clothes by hand on an ordinary wash board and thereby removing the dirt from the clothes without unduly wearing the same or tearing off the buttons.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of the washing machine embodying my improvements showing the parts in the position which they occupy while the clothes are subjected to a rubbing action. Figure 2 is a similar View showing the position of the parts when the clothes are subjectedto a beating and whirling action. Figure 3 is a horizontal section, taken on line 3--3, Fig. 1, looking downwardly. Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the machine, partly in section. Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on line 55, Fig. 1. Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section online 6-6, Fig. 1, looking upwardly. Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 77, Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In its general organization this machine comprises a tank which is adapted to receive the water, cleansing medium, such-as soap or the like, and clothes which are to be washed, a vertically movable bottom which is adapted to raise and lower the clothes within the tank, a rotary whirler which is adapted to rotate the clothes in the tank, and a beating and rubbing member which is adapted to rub the clothes and also .beat the same while the latter are in the tank.

The tank 10 may be of any suitable form and material, but as shown in the drawings, the same is square in horizontal section an constructed of sheet metal. The clothes to be washed are introduced into the tankand removed therefrom through the top of the tank-which is normally closed by a vertically swinging cover 11, which is pivotally connected at its rear edge to the tank by means of hinges 12.

Within the lower part of the tank is arranged a vertically movable table 13 upon which the clothes to be washed are adapted to rest and which is preferably constructed of corrugated sheet metal and provided with a plurality of perforations 14 so that the water in the tank can pass through this table upon raising and lowering the latter. The whirler is adapted to move vertically into and out of a depressed pocket 15 arranged centrally in the supporting table 13 and preferably comprises a rotary head 16 which turns about a vertical axis and a plurality of fingers 17 projecting upwardly from the head 16 and adapted to engage the underside of the mass of clothes in the tank.

The combined rubber and heater whereby the clothes are subjected from the top to a rubbing and beating action, is preferably constructed in the form of a plate 18 which is provided on its underside with a plurality of corrugations 19 and which is adapted to be either reciprocated while the same is in the horizontal position for the purpose of subjecting the clothes to a rubbing action, or the same is adapted to be. turned about a horizontal axis at one end thereof, for the purpose of causing this board or plate to subject the clothes to a beating or a pounding action.

The raising and lowering of the rubbing table 13 may be effected by various means, those shown in the drawings being an example of suitable means for this purpose and comprislng a supporting frame 20 secured to the marginal part of the table 13,

two upright shifting rods 21 passing with their central parts through stufiing boxes 22 in the bottom of the tank and secured at their upper ends to the frame 20, a shifting frame 23 arranged below the bottom ofthe tank and connected with the lower ends of the shifting rods 21, a double armed shifting lever 24: arranged below the bottom of the.

tank and pivoted by means of a pin 25 to a bracket 26 on the underside of the tank,

(1 pins 27 arranged on the arms of the lever 24 and working in longitudinal slots 28 in the shifting lever'24, and a rotary cam 29 engaging with the underside of one arm of the lever 24. This cam is mounted on a substantially so with the top horizontal driving shaft 30 which is journaled in suitable bearings on the lower part of the main frame of the washing mac ine and driven by any suitable means for instance, by a belt passing around a driving pulley 31 at one end of the driving shaft. The weight of the rubbing table 13 and the parts associated therewith operate to depress the same while the lifting of this table is effected by engagement of t e salient part of the cam 29 as the latter is rotated, thereby causing the mass of clothes resting upon the table to be raised and lowered at intervals. The cam 29 is so constructed that it holds the rubbing table 13 at rest in an elevated position for a time and also at a depressed position for a time, so that when the clothes are raised they can be subjected to a horizontal rubbing action and while they are lowered, the same may be subjected to a whirling action.

The means for operating the whirler comprises an upright shaft 32 which is secured at its upper end to the head 16 of the whirler and passes through an opening in the bottom of the pocket 15 and also through a stufiing box 33in the bottom of the tank. At its lower end the whirler shaft has mounted thereon a bevel gear pinion 34 which is compelled to turn with this shaft, but the latter is free to slide relatively thereto by means of a spline 35. This gear pinion meshes with a bevel gear wheel 36, which is pivotally mounted on a bracket 37 depending from the underside of the tank and is rotated by means of the intermeshing gear wheels 38, 39 secured relatively to the main driving shaft 30 and the gear wheel 36, as best shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4.and 7.

The upward movement of the whirler shaft 32 is effected by engagement of the bottom of the pocket 15 to'the underside of the whirler head 16 and the downward movement of this whirler is limited by means of a stop or collar 40 secured to the whirler shaft and adapted. to engage with the bottom of the tank. The relative osition of these parts, is such that the rub ing board and the whirler move vertically. to gether part of the time, but before the rubbing table completes the end of its downward movement, the stop 40 of the whirler spindle-or shaft engages with the bottom of the tank, thereby causing the whirler to be lifted out of the pocket 15 and engage with the undersideof the mass of clothes in the tank for turning the same, as shown in Fig. 2, and durin the latter part of the upward movement 0 the rubbing table, the bottom of the pocket 15 en ages with the underside of the head of t e whirler, so that the latter is enclosed by this pocket and is lifted with the same, but the u per ends of its fingers 17 are arranged flus or of the rubbing board 13, so that there will be no appreciable turning effect of the whirler on the clothes while the rubbing board is thus elevated, as shown in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for operating the rubber and beater plate or board 18 is preferably constructed as follows:

41 represents a horizontal shaft which is arranged transversely adjacent to one side of the upper part of the tank above the rubbing table 13 anduponthe central part of which the rear end of the rubber and beater plate is pivoted by means of sleeves 42, arranged on this end of the rubber and beater and surrounding the shaft 41. The latter is guided at its opposite ends in horizontal longitudinal slots 43 formed in pairs 44 secured to theinner side of the tank. A horizontal movement is imparted to the beater and rubber plateby means which preferably comprise a shifting rod 45 passing horizontally through thestufiing box 46 and connected at its inner end with the center of the shaft 41 on the upright rod lever 47 pivotally supported on the lower part of the tank and having its upper arm connected by means of a pin and slot connection 48 with the outer end of the shifting rod 45, a horizonta-l shifting rod 49 guided on the lower part of the main frame and connected by means of a pin and slot connection 50 with the lower arm of the rock lever 47 and a cam 51 mounted on the main shaft 30 and having a peripheral cam groove 52 which engages with a pin 53 on the inn r end of the shifting rod 49. This ca 15 so constructed that while the rubbing table 13 is in its elevated position, the beating and rubbing plate 18 will be reciprocated a number of times so that the ribs or flutes 19 will exert a rubbing action on the top of the pile of clothes in the tank, and then the reciproeating movement of the beater and rubber will cease for a time in which the rubbing table 13 is depressed and the clothes are subjected for a time to a rotating action by the whirler. While the rubber and heater plate is thus held against horizontal reciprocation,

the shaft 41 is arranged close to one side of the tank and a vertically oscillating motion is imparted thereto, so that it operates to beat the mass of clothes on the upper side thereof. This motion may be imparted to the rubber and heater in various ways but is preferably accomplished by means of springs 54 surrounding opposite ends of the s aft 41 and each having one end secured to this shaft while its opposite end bears on the beater plate so as to constantly press against the same, and an upright lifting rod 55 sliding through a stufling box 56 on the bottom of the tank and engaging its upper end with a projection 57 on the underside of the rubher and beater plate while its lower end is provlded w1th the laterally projecting tappet 58 which is engaged by a rotary cam 59 mounted on the driving shaft 30. This cam 59 is so constructed that it permits the lifting rod 55 to descend and the rubbing and beating plate 18 to swing downwardly into a horizontal position by the action of grayity, together with the pressure of the springs 54 and to remain in this position during the time that the rubbing table 13 is elevated and a horizontally reciprocating movement is imparted to the plate 18 for subjecting the clothes to a rubbing action between the plate 18 and the table 13, and thereafter while the table 13 is lowered and the whirlcr is elevated relatively to the table for the purpose of turning the clothes, the cam 59 together with the springs 54 operates to oscillate the beater and rubber plate 18 a number of times so as to paddle or beat the clothes while they are loose.

By means of these successive beating, rubbing and whirling operations upon the clothes the dirt is removed therefrom rapidly and thoroughly and without unduly wearing the clothes or injuring the same.

After the clothes have been washed a suflicient length of time, the machine may be brought to rest with the rubbing table 13 in its elevated position, after which the attendant can remove the clothes conveniently from the tank by lifting the cover 11 and the combined beater and rubber plate 18. If desired, the clothes may be passed directly through a Wringer after being removed from the washing machine, for which purpose the tank of the latter is preferably provided on its front side with a flange 60 on which a wringer may be detachably mounted consisting of a pair of co-operating pressing rollers 61, 62 and other elements common to this type of wringer.

For convenience in removing the soiled water from the tank, the lower end of the same is provided with an outlet or waste nozzle 63 which is normally closed by a plug 64.

Briefly described, the operation of this machine is as follows:

The clothes to be washed may be placed in the tank containing washing liquid, such as a mixture of soap and water, while the parts of the machine are in different positions but preferably while the supporting machine is elevated and the whirler is arranged withinthe pocket thereof, and the rubbing and beating plate is shifted to one side of the center of the tank at which time this plate can be conveniently raised after opening the top of the tank for the purpose of introducing the clothes to be washed, into the tank.

After the introduction of a batch of clothes, the same are permitted to first become thoroughly soaked with the washing liquid and thereafter the machine is started,

which will cause the clothes to first besubjected at the top, to a horizontal rubbing action of the rubbing and beatingplate,

the whirler enters the pocket of the supporting table and the rubbing and beating plate is reciprocated horizontally in engagement with the top of the pile of clothes. These operations of rubbing, whirling and beating occur alternately at intervals during the operation of the machine and serve to effectually loosen the dirt in the clothes and remove the same therefrom, the dirt thus removed being taken up by the water and the latter being withdrawnthrough the waste outlet of the tank as often as is necessary depending upon the character of the soiled clothes.

As a whole this machine, considering the various functions which it performs, is comparatively simple and compact in construction and also requires very little power for its operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive the washing liquid and the clothes to be washed, a table movable vertically in said tank and adapted to support said clothes and provided with a depressed pocket, and a whirler adapted to move into and out of said pocket and to turn the clothes above the table.

2. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive the washing liquid and the clothes to be washed, a table movable vertically in said tank and adapted to support said clothes, a whirler adapted to rotate above said table, and means for turning said whirler comprising an upright shaft connected with said whirler, a gear pinion splined to said shaft, and a gear wheel meshing 'with said pinion.

3. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive the washing liquid and the clothes to be washed, a table movable vertically in said tank and adapted to support said clothes and having a pocket, a

whirler adapted to rotate above said table, means for turning said whirler, said whirler being raised by engagement of the bottom of said pocket with said whirler.

4. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive the washing liquid and the clothes to be washed, a plate arranged in the upper part of said tank and capable of reciprocating horizontally therein in engagement with the clothes and also of swinging vertically toward and from the same and means for reciprocating and swinging said plate.

6. A washing machine comprising a tank adapted to receive the washing liquid and the clothes to be washed, a plate arranged I in the upper part of said tank and capable of reciprocating horizontally therein in engagement with the clothes and also of swinging vertically toward and from the same, and means for actuating said plate both horizontally and verticall comprising a horizontal pivot rod on W ich' one end of said plate, 1s pivotally mounted, a horizontally reciprocating shifting; rod connected with said pivot rod, horizontal guides arranged on the Walls of said tank and re- 1 ceiving the ends of said ivot rod, a spring for swinging said plate ownwardly, and a vertically movable lifting rod engaging said plate and adapted to raise the same.

A washing machine having a a tank adapted to receive the washing-liquid and the clothes to be washed, a vertically movable table adapted to support the clothes, a plate in the upper part of the tank, means for reciprocating the plate on the top of the clothes, and a whirler above the table adapted to engage the underside of the clothes.

SALVATORE SEDITA. 

